Roddick Defends Players Skipping ATP Masters Series Events

Posted on November 2, 2004

Andy Roddick struck back at Masters Series organizers Tuesday in Paris, with the organizers complaining this week (and two weeks ago in Madrid) to the ATP about the top players skipping the top level of ATP events.

Roddick, who skipped the Masters-Series Madrid after playing a series of exhibitions in the U.S., and a couple months ago accepting a hefty appearance fee to play in the smaller Bangkok event, says players are justified in skipping events due to the length of the season.

"In what other sport do you play 11 months of the year?" Roddick said. "I am going to finish my season on December 5 and start next year on January 5. I would rather pull out of an event than injure myself. If they can't understand the way an athlete works, that's too bad."

Speaking to L'Equipe magazine, Roddick said, "There are things that should be changed but they will never happen. Too many people are involved in the decision process. They will never all agree because they all want a slice of the cake."

The ATP has had a difficult time getting players to consistently play the top tier of ATP events since suffering financial problems and doing away with the year-end bonus pool for players.

The ATP had an easier time dictating the movement of players with the bonus pool, which awarded players at the end of the year according to their ranking and the number of top-tier events they played, with players monetarily penalized for missing events.

Other Top 10 ATP Race Standings players missing from the Masters Series-Paris this week with injury are Roger Federer, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Moya, Guillermo Coria, Andre Agassi and David Nalbandian.

No word from Roddick on his reported "lip-locking" last week in a Las Vegas club with party-heiress Paris Hilton. Also expected to come under media scrutiny Tuesday night was Lleyton Hewitt, who after his opening-round match will face the media for the first time since breaking up with fellow former No. 1 Kim Clijsters.